The Letter
by SpeckOfSun
Summary: Melanie Anna Grace Isabella Charlotte Dursley is cousins with Lily Potter and Lucy Weasley who are her best friend. On the day of her birthday, she gets a letter telling her she is a witch. Dudley, her father, wonders what his mother's reaction would be when she finds out that on top of her youngest granddaughter being a witch, she is friends with a redhead named Lily.


A/N: Story number four of the chain. This one is more light-hearted than the others and while it took me a day to write, it was still pretty hard. Now, I will be writing the prompt underneath each time after this (including this), unless it is too long. This one was confusing on whether it should be a girl or a boy, so I just picked the simplest one. Girl.

Prompt: Vernon and Petunia almost fainted when they discovered her daughter was a wizard. But it wasn't until they discovered she was best friends with Lily Potter. When Petunia did faint.

Disclaimer: I own Alexa, Grace or Melanie or whatever, Ethan and Ashley. That is it. The Queen, not in the literal sense, owns everybody else. Bow down to Queen Joanne of Rowling.

* * *

Melanie Anna Grace Isabella Charlotte Dursley didn't like her name. It was too long and the teachers at school would have to call it all.

They would call Meena Day who always was right before her and then they would look in confusion at her name.

"Melanie Anna Grace Isabelle Charlotte Dursley?" The teacher would ask.

"Here." She would reply, very tired and slightly annoyed at her parents for choosing such a long name.

When she was at school, she'd ask to be called Grace. It was nicest name of the bunch, in her opinion.

Grace was slightly jealous of her older brother and sister with normal name. Ashley Eva was normal and fine, just like Ethan Mason. They didn't have four middle names like Grace did.

She did, however, have fun with her friend, Lucy. Lucy was also her cousin, with a couple things removed. Actually, she was Uncle Harry's niece. Grandma and Grandfather didn't like Uncle Harry and his family.

"How do you feel about your birthday tomorrow?" Grace asked Lucy who was picking at threads straying from the school uniform. Neither of them liked the colors grey and orange and that, incidentally, happened to be the school's colours.

"Worried. Turning eleven in my family is a really big thing. How about you in two days?" Lucy replied, looking at Grace.

"Excited, I guess. I get to turn a double diget number and I can finally find out what 'talk' made Ashley and Ethan cry." Grace quipped. She had sent to her room while her parents were talking with her sister. Half an hour later, Ashley stormed into their shared room, hid her head under a pillow and began sobbing.

Ethan ended up crying at dinner when their mum had suddenly mentioned making eggs the next morning. Grace found it funny when her brother who thought himself being a macho man began crying.

Lucy turned red and looked at the ground.

"Have you had it already?" Grace demanded, feeling a tad left out.

"Mum glued me to a chair and made me listen to her and Dad. It was horrible."

"Can you tell me what it was?" Grace asked excitedly, glancing at a boy who liked her walking by.

"You will find out soon. Beside, it's embarrassing."

"Fine." Grace grumbled.

"Let's go back to birthday's. Lily's is the same day as yours, you know."

"Trust me, I know. We go to Uncle Harry's for a double birthday dinner."

"You have to actually eat Aunt Ginny's cooking?" Lucy made a face of disgust.

"I don't mean to be rude, but it's revolting. Ethan vomited when he got home. Thankfully, Uncle Harry's cooking this time."

"The only person better at cooking than Nana Molly is my mum. Then Uncle Harry. Dad can't cook even if it would save his life." Lucy nodded seriously. Grace grinned.

"Alright, now that we've settled who is better at cooking, what do you want for your birthday, Lucy?"

"Nothing."

"You know if you say nothing I am walking into the most expensive gift store and walking out penniless. Better tell me what you want."

"Still nothing. I don't want you wasting your money on me when you're saving up for a guitar."

"You got me a laptop, Lucy. I am getting you something."

"Fine. Get me a cheap dangly muggle thing that has your name on it."

Lucy liked to say 'muggle' a lot. When Grace had asked what muggle meant, Lucy said it was a term that meant mundane. When Grace had said it in front of her father, he began laughing.

"Fine. I am getting you a 'dangly muggle thing that has your name on it'."

"I said cheap, too."

"I didn't."

* * *

'"Welcome back, Alexa," Aunt Ginny paused before smiling, "you too, Dudley.

"Good to see you, Ginny." Grace's father said gruffly. Her mum, however, was all smiles.

"How are you, Ginny? I haven't seen you for an entire month."

"I'm good. I've been spending time with my sisters-in-law."

"Oh! How is Fleur? I saw Hermione a week ago in Selfridges."

"Fleur's fine."

"Want to go find James?" Ashley asked Ethan, who nodded and they ran off leaving Grace.

Grace pouted at her older siblings. They were the closest in age, making them the closest in relationships as well. They were always there for Grace, however, when she needed them.

"My brother and sister are like that too, as I suspect you know." A voice said behind Grace, making her jump and blush red.

Grace had a tiny and innocent crush on her cousin.

"I know," she twiddled her thumbs shyly.

"Want to come with me? I can show you where Lily is." Albus suggested and Grace nodded. She wanted to be with someone she knew better and didn't turn into a stuttering, shy mouse around. However, she doubted that any mouse had blond hair and green eyes.

Albus led Grace through most of the house and pointed toward Lily's bedroom, where she probably was.

"You alright?" Grace asked as she sat down on the edge of the pink bed.

"Not really. Turning eleven is the time, in my family, is when the elite boarding school decides if you are good enough and then they send you a letter."

"And..."

"They haven't yet! There are seven more hours to this day and they haven't!"

"Well, you have seven more hours, then. Happy birthday, Lily Luna Potter."

"Happy birthday Melanie Anna Grace Isabella Charlotte Dursley."

"I always hated that name." Grace scowled.

"I know, Gracie."

"Girls! Get downstairs, the food's on the table!" Aunt Ginny called up the stairs.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The two girls walked downstairs and sat down at the large mahogany table where the rest of the families were waiting.

"What took you so long?" Grace's mother and Lily's mother complained, resulting in their youngest daughters grinning.

"Talking."

"About?" James asked. He liked to pry into people's personal business.

"Things."

The three boys at the table groaned.

"Well, in their defence, you don't have to know." Ashley spoke up, stabbing her greens violently in her plate.

"Woah, there, cannibal. Take it easy. Mr Lettuce didn't do anything." James joked, making Ashley make a face at him.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence except for the friendly chatters of the adults until it was time to blow out the candles.

"Three."

Grace and Lily clasped hands and turned towards the double layered cake.

"Two."

They puckered their lips and drew in a deep breath.

"One."

They blew hard, effectively making the flickering light go out.

Everybody clapped politely but immediately stopped when two owls flew in the room and perched on a chair. It was actually owls.

Grace began giggling at the effects but when she saw her father's ghost expression, she froze.

Uncle Harry quickly unwound the first letter and opened it, his green eyes skimming the page.

"Miss Charlotte Dursley, you have been accepted to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Uncle Harry said, a light smile on his face.

He passed Grace the letter and opened the second letter.

"Great job, Lily. You made it in." Uncle Harry was more enthusiastic.

"I can't believe it! I'm not a Squib! Lucy got in too! We're all going to go together!" Lily squealed dancing around.

"Dudley, are you alright?" Grace's mother asked gently, shaking his arm.

"I'm just worried about Mum and Dad's reaction." He said softly. Uncle Harry began laughing.

"Let's just say that if both of you and my aunt and uncle cast her out, Grace always has a place to stay."

"You ran away on your own back then." Grace's father protested.

"Hey! Hey!" James suddenly began jumping up and down, a bright expression on his face.

"What, James?" Grace asked tiredly, Ashley and Ethan rolling their eyes. Lily just smiled, as if she seem to know what he was thinking.

"Your names. M for Melanie, A for Anna, G for Grace, I for Isabella, C for Charlotte. They spell out MAGIC." He seemed to think he was a genius.

"What about the 'D'?"

"Magic'd, then. Stop ruining my mood, Melanie Anna Grace Isabella Charlotte Dursley."

"You know, sweetheart, I actually picked those names out on purpose. Your father didn't even figure it out until your seventh birthday when you wrote your initials on a card and forgot the 'D'." Grace's mother whispered, her brown eyes twinkling.

"This was an eventful evening. Dudley, whenever you need to get the supplies, send me a letter and we will go together."

"Promise. Goodbye, Harry. I can't wait to see Mum and Dad's reactions. This will be great!" Grace's father said gleefully.

* * *

"Oh, happy birthday, dear." Grandma Petunia said happily, hugging Grace.

"It was yesterday," Grace giggled as her grandmother moved to hug her older siblings.

"Hey, grams." Ethan mumbled, puling away from her fierce embrace.

"Where are my favourite grandchildren?" A loud voice boomed from the sitting room. Grace, Ashley and Ethan hurried into the white, cosy-looking room to sit on the 'children's couch.

"Good." They said clearly as they eyed their elderly grandfather. They preferred the grandparents from their mother's side.

"Anything new happening?"

"Yes, Grandfather." Ashley was smiling winningly, "I got top grades in my grade-"

"Twelfth year, correct?"

"We have a different system. It's grade eleven, but yes."

"Continue." Grace's grandfather said gruffly.

"After that, Ethan got onto the football team. Into the best team."

"Well done, Ethan."

Grandma Petunia joined Vernon and their grandchildren, while bringing the children's father and mother.

Grace's mother and father shared a love seat while Grandma Petunia sat on the corner of Grandfather's armchair.

"Now that you're hear, you can hear the best part. Melanie Anna Grace Isabella Charlotte Dursley, is officially, as of yesterday..." Ashley paused and saw her grandparents lean forward in anticipation. "A witch."

All colour drained from their faces. They looked shaky.

"Honestly, Petunia, she might have gotten it from me. My father was a Squib, so were my siblings and I." Grace's mother quickly said, trying to stop her mother-in-law from swaying dizzily on the chair.

Ashley, Ethan and Grace snapped their heads to look at their mother with surprise. They were part of a wizarding family? All of them?

"I didn't want to get your hopes up, Ash. You too, Teetan." Teetan was a pet name that Grace's mother had for her only son.

"I have to say that I'm not surprised." Grandma Petunia's voice was light and almost devoid of emotion.

"You're not?" Grace asked in surprise.

"No, dear. I knew that my sister, however much of a freak she was, did enjoy her time at that school. I hope you will too, Melanie." Grandma Petunia said softly. She only ever called Grace by her first name when she was solemn about something.

"Thank you, Grandma. That's not even the best part."

"It isn't?" Grandma raised her pencilled eyebrows.

"My best friends are going with me. They're Uncle Harry's daughter and niece."

"Oh?"

"The one i'm closer to is Lucy Weasley but then I go to school with her, so it makes sense."

"And your Uncle Harry's daughter?"

"Oh! She shares my birthday and she's a lot like me. Doesn't look like me though. Looks a lot like the girl in your photos, Grandma. Except for the green eyes. Her's are brown."

"Are they now?"

"Mhmm. Her name is Lily Potter."

A loud thump made Grace look at her grandmother. Had she just? She had. Her grandmother had just fainted.

Ashley, Ethan and Grace's parents burst out laughing while Grace looked at the with a confused expression.

"Did I say something wrong?"


End file.
